Direct Admit Engineering
Many of the nation's best engineering schools offer direct admit policies, where incoming freshmen begin their undergraduate experience as a member of the university's College of Engineering. However, each year, there are many bright applicants who are admitted to their dream school, but are denied direct admission into their desired engineering program. These students are faced with a dilemma: accept a spot in the broader university with the goal of earning their way into engineering via transfer, or commit to a different school where studying engineering is guaranteed. Another subset of applicants are looking for a "backdoor" way into a stellar engineering program. They aim to apply to the general university, excel in the classroom as an underclassman, and then transfer in the school's COE.
To assist future engineering students in navigating either of these challenging endeavors, College Transitions has put together a comprehensive list of Direct Admit Engineering Schools accompanied by 1) additional information (with links) about the process for internally transferring into an engineering major and 2) our assessment of whether that process is Easy, Moderate, or Difficult.
Direct Admit | Changing your major to engineering (if not offered direct admit) | How difficult to change to engineering? |
---|---|---|
Boston University | Click here for more info. | Moderate/Easy |
Bucknell University | Internal transfers are accepted on a very limited basis. Click here for more info. | Very |
Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo | Click here for more info. | Moderate |
Carnegie Mellon University | Click here for more info. Electrical and Computer Engineering is usually filled and rarely accepts internal transfers. | Moderate |
Clemson University | Click here for more info. | Moderate/Easy |
Colorado State University | Click here for more info. | Moderate |
Columbia University | Click here for more info. | Moderate |
Cornell University | Click here for more info. | Moderate/Very |
Drexel University | Click here for more info | Moderate |
Duke University | Click here for more info. | Easy |
George Washington University | Click here for more info. | Moderate/Easy |
Georgia Institute of Technology | Click here for more info. All admitted undergraduate freshmen are allowed one restricted change of major prior to earning 60 credits. | Easy |
Iowa State University | Easy | |
Johns Hopkins University | Click here for more info. Students may not transfer into Biomedical Engineering, and must be accepted at time of admission to the university. | Easy (except BME) |
Lehigh University | Click here for more info. | Moderate/Easy |
Loyola Marymount University | Click here for more info. | Moderate |
North Carolina State University | Click here for more info. | Moderate |
Northeastern University | Click here for more info. Minimum GPA for consideration is 3.0. | Moderate |
Northwestern University | Click here for more info. | Moderate/Easy |
Oregon State University | Easy | |
Princeton University | Click here for more info. | Easy |
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | Click here for more info. | Easy |
Rutgers University | Click here for more info. Minimum GPA for consideration is 3.0. | Moderate |
Santa Clara University | Click here for more info. | Moderate |
Syracuse University | Click here for more info. Applicants need at least a 3.0 to prove competitive. | Moderate |
Texas A&M University | Click here for more info. Aerospace and BME have very competitive admission standards. | Moderate/Very |
Tufts University | Click here for more info. | Moderate/Easy |
University at Buffalo (SUNY) | Click here for more info. Minimum GPA for consideration is 2.5. | Moderate |
University of Arizona | Click here for more info. | Moderate |
University of California, Berkeley | Click here for more info. Minimum GPA for consideration 3.0-to-3.4. | Very |
University of California, Davis | Click here for more info. | Moderate |
University of California, Irvine | Click here for more info. Minimum GPA for consideration is 3.0. | Moderate/Very |
University of California, Los Angeles | Click here for more info. | Very |
University of California, Riverside | Click here for more info. | Moderate |
University of California, San Diego | Click here for more info. | Very |
University of California, Santa Barbara | Click here for more info. Minimum GPA for consideration is 3.0. | Very |
University of Colorado, Boulder | Click here for more info. Minimum GPA for consideration is 3.0. | Moderate |
University of Connecticut | Click here for more info. Minimum GPA for consideration is 2.7. | Moderate/Very |
University of Delaware | Click here for more info. | Moderate/Very |
University of Florida | Click here for more info. | Moderate |
University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign | Click here for more info. | Moderate/Very |
University of Iowa | Click here for more info. | Moderate |
University of Maryland | Click here for more info. Minimum GPA for consideration is 3.0. | Moderate/Very |
University of Massachusetts Amherst | Click here for more info. Minimum GPA for consideration is 2.0. | Moderate/Easy |
University of Michigan | Click here for more info. Minimum GPA for consideration is 2.5. | Moderate/Very |
University of Minnesota | Click here for more info. Successful applicants have a 3.2. (technical) GPA or higher. | Moderate/Very |
University of Notre Dame | Click here for more info. | Easy |
University of Pennsylvania | Click here for more info. Minimum GPA for consideration is 3.0. | Moderate |
University of Pittsburgh | Click here for more info. Minimum GPA for consideration is 3.0. Bioengineering requires a 3.5. | Moderate |
University of Southern California | Click here for more info. Priority consideration given to students with 3.0 or higher. | Moderate |
University of Tennessee | Click here for more info. | Moderate |
University of Texas at Austin | Click here for more info. Minimum GPA for consideration is 3.0. | Moderate/Very |
University of Virginia | Click here for more info. Minimum GPA for consideration is 2.5. | Moderate |
University of Washington | Click here for more info. Spaces for internal transfers are extremely limited. | Very |
University of Wisconsin – Madison | Click here for more info. | Moderate |
Vanderbilt University | Click here for more info. | Easy |
Villanova University | Click here for more info. ` | Moderate |
Virginia Tech | Click here for more info. | Moderate |
Washington University in St. Louis | Click here for more info. Minimum GPA for consideration is 3.0. | Moderate |
Schools that are not officially "Direct Admit"
The following includes a list of institutions that are not officially "Direct Admit," but where students can declare an engineering major without meeting any particular requirements. Click the links for more information.
Schools Requiring a Separate Application
The following institutions require students to submit a separate application or review process (after enrollment) for admission into an engineering major. Click the links for more information.


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